


If It Helps We Like You Plenty

by cjg



Series: Much Much Later [9]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: 1/5 Quarter Elves, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Established Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Feels, Married Couple, Nudity, Partial Nudity, Pregnancy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, pregnancy symptoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 06:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14158392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjg/pseuds/cjg
Summary: The one where there's nausea and vomiting. They're not the first clues, but they certainly are the most annoying ones so far.OrThe one where Percy does all he can to keep Vex happy and comfortable when she wakes up nauseous. It’s awful, but it could be much worse. They’ll get past this part together. What they’ll have at the end is worth it.The Much Much Later Series does not need to be read to enjoy this fic at all.





	If It Helps We Like You Plenty

She knows when he returns home because she hears the front door open and shortly after Trinket returns, nudging open the bedroom door with his nose before walking to his heap of blanket and pillows at the foot of the bed. Then he gets quiet, going back to sleep, it’s still so early.

When Percy enters the room, she can feel him watch her for a minute before he starts to get undressed again. The only thing he has on when he gets back under the covers is his usual pair of sleep pants. The skin to skin contact at her back is comforting as he settles in behind her laying on his right side.

“Hello,” she says as he moves her braid, so it’s not so in his way. Then he shifts his head, so it’s very close behind her own, his nose in her hair. They’re both sharing his pillow.

“Mmmm?” he replies as he lets himself relax. 

His left-hand rests on her waist and starts to make little circles against her skin with his pointer finger, it tickles, but it’s also so lovely and distracting. “You know I found out that I’m not as nauseous when I’m asleep,” she says, becoming more awake with every passing moment.

She can hear his concern when he says, “That’s progress,” into her hair.

True to her word, now that she’s awake a wave of nausea hits her. It’s not as bad as it was when she first woke up before though.

It doesn’t actually end, but after a bit, it does get easier to manage. She continues with her questions, asking him, “How did it go with my hunters?” She’ll need to get her second in command, Ralona, prepared to handle things.

“You’ve been sick before dear, they know what to do in your absence,” Percy says quietly, still making calming little circles against her skin.

This might be a bad idea, but she turns around. Yes, yes it’s a bad idea, but it only takes a moment. Moving just enough to rest on her back she looks into his eyes as she asks, “Do you think they suspect?” Her Grey Hunters are an observant group; she wouldn’t put it past them to have some idea of what is happening between their leader and her lord husband. 

“How could they suspect? We don’t even know for sure yet,” he says in a whisper, his glasses reflecting the early morning light. She can’t keep the smile off her face; he’s still treating this as a secret. 

She’d told him that maybe this was something over a week ago, but talking about it then, like it was a definite, only felt more like jinxing it. Until today, now she only wants confirmation to what she already knows. 

It is a gut feeling, but she’s learned to trust those, except for the part of this that makes her feel like she’s on the deck of a ship right now, that bit can go to hell.

Under the covers she takes his hand that is at her waist and brings it, so it rests on her abdomen, giddy, she says, “Oh, I’m sure. Three weeks late and today I’m nauseous like it’s my job, that only means one thing.” 

“Papa,” she says after a pause to look up at him with a soft intensity that he returns. The word almost got stuck in her throat, but it’s out in the air now. It’s the first time either of them has said it since they decided to start trying for a child months ago.

She watches as the word travels through him. He nods and closes his eyes, moisture forming at the corners, a twitch of a smile, which grows on both sides. Happy tears begin slowly falling down his face when he opens his eyes again.

A kiss to her hairline then he shifts and goes lower, angling for a proper kiss. 

She covers her mouth quickly with her left hand, saying through her fingers, “You should know I vomited again right after you left, I think I rinsed after, but I can’t remember now, and I probably could vomit again at any moment.”

“Just a short kiss,” he says simply. He brushes his lips over each of her knuckles gently. 

It’s incredible the things he’s capable of doing to her heart with the little things he does and the sincerity as he says such simple words. Giggling with their shared joy, she moves her hand out of his way and wipes tears from his cheeks and from under his glasses. Her fingertips ending on the underside of his unshaven jaw and neck. 

His pointer finger starts to make the slow, purposeful circles against her skin just below her bellybutton. Good, she can focus on that, it will help distract from her nausea.

He kisses her without hesitation or second thought to her warning. Slow and effortless on her part at first, she finds it in her to try and match him as she becomes more and more confident that she did rinse like she thought she might have. He’s so welcoming of the shift it draws her in more, wanting all she can get, all he’ll willingly give. 

It’s everything; he gives her everything.

She wants them to remember this moment. This happiness is different from anything else she’s felt before.

When ending the kiss, his lips drag along the crease of her smile to kiss her cheek gently. He looks down, and for the first time, they both notice the bump in the covers their hands are making. 

He stops making the circles and flattens his hand. Focusing on the bump as their hands rise and fall as she breathes. She watches as his eyes widen, she knows what he’s seeing, she can imagine it too, it’s not their hands under the covers but her body months from now.

Opening his mouth, like he was going to say something, but then he pauses before saying, “Amazing,” so quietly she almost doesn’t hear it. 

She nods agreeing with him, and the motion makes him look at her again. His eyes are so full of love for her, for everything this means. 

One last tear runs down his face, and she catches it before it can reach his chin.

“Darling, when is Pike coming to check on me?” she asks while he takes her hand and kisses the center of her palm.

Giving her hand back, he says, “She said she would be here at noon after she’s finished at the bakery. She already knows what this is about though. I’m sure she’ll be here as soon as she can.”

“Yes, I told her we’ve been trying,” she admits softly, watching his eyes for a reaction. Another moment of nausea hits her. 

“I know, she told me you did when I tried to tell her myself months ago,” he says laughing a little. The sound of it fills her heart. 

She starts to laugh with him and then it becomes abundantly clear that it was not a good idea. In a series of rapid movements, she’s already out of bed and heading towards the bathroom before he can even react.

 

 

He’s leaning in the doorway when she finishes, a concerned expression in his eyes. 

It doesn’t escape her notice that he watches her while she rinses out her mouth and rewashes her face, that look on his face doesn’t fade. 

She walks over to him and leans into his chest and groans while he wraps his arms around her tenderly. 

“It feels like I’m on a boat,” she whines against his skin, trying to describe how she feels to him.

“You never were a good sailor,” he says in a sad tone of voice.

She knows he didn’t mean anything by it, but she can’t help the growl that grows in her throat after he said that. 

“I’m sorry,” he says quickly after the rumble emits through her nose and throat.

"It wasn’t you. I just wish that it wasn’t the truth. If I was better at that I might be able to deal with this better,” she says honestly, then she groans, the feeling is getting worse again.

It's then that Trinket makes a concerned noise from his place across the room and they both turn to look at the half-awake bear.

"Everything is alright dear, go back to sleep," she assures him. 

It's possible he already can smell something different with her. He may already know. If he doesn’t, they’re going to have to tell him, soon. They’ve spoken about this before in a future sense; he's already decided that he's going to call her and Percy's children cubs.

Trinket answers her with an understanding huff noise and goes back to sleep, a paw over his face to keep out the light of the room. Such a good boy.

Turning back to Percy, he's watching her with a giant smile on his lips; it lights up his eyes. "My lady would you like to return to bed?" he asks loosening the hold he has around her waist.

Grabbing his hand, she gathers herself and pushes down the feeling in her stomach before leading him back to bed. He waits to see which side she’s going to take. She again goes to his side and gets back under the covers. 

Trying not to think about the nausea, as she settles down with him behind her, going over everything she has to do today in her mind; there’s nothing that can't be put off except for the bakery, shit how did she forget.

Letting out a sigh of dissatisfaction, she can feel his questioning look from behind her. “I have to be at the bakery at two this afternoon,” she explains, how is she going to get through that, she doesn’t want rumors spreading through the city yet.

He moves her braid out of the way and kisses her neck then starts to explain, “Scanlan is covering for you at the bakery today, and I’m going to be there tomorrow morning.” Gods, he is her hero she thinks, but it seems like he's forgotten about the meeting tomorrow in the chaos that has been the last two hours.

As he starts sliding his fingers up and down her spine, he continues saying, “We’ll figure everything out after Pike sees you. Maybe she’ll have some suggestions to help you with this.”

Affection for him fills her as she turns around. Shaking her head she explains, “You can’t manage my shift. You have the meeting tomorrow at eleven.”

He shakes his head, “Ah yes, Cass has decided that after all the time she spent in Ank’Harel with them she feels confident enough that she doesn’t need me there. Besides, we trust J’mon. It’ll be fine.” he says quietly. There's confidence in his eyes. 

She reaches out to touch his face; her fingers tips run through the stubble on his chin. He leans into her touch, taking comfort in it. “I’d much rather be at the bakery anyway. Now that you taught me how you manage the accounts I feel more useful to you there than I ever was behind the counter,” he says with a chuckle.

“Small talk with customers was not your forte darling, but you can’t deny that the lines never moved faster,” she says with a sympathetic smile on her face.

“The regulars didn’t like me, they like staying and talking with you and Pike. The week last year when you had the flu was terrible,” he says.

She's not going to lie, but she can make him feel better. “Yes they don’t like it when you’re behind the counter instead of us,” she admits, but then she says leaning in to kiss his cheek, “If it helps we like you plenty anywhere you are.” 

“That does help,” he admits turning his head to kiss her back gently.

As he shifts away, he seems to catch what she actually said. He reaches down to touch her stomach and says, “We,” so tenderly. He’s so happy about this. 

"We need to get used to it," she says nodding her head a little, not enough, so she feels sick again though, it's better for the moment.

"I don't know how that will ever happen," he says after thinking about it for a minute.

"Hold me," she says taking the opportunity to turn onto her side. The arm he wraps around her feels protective, while his other hand rests on her back.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” he says quietly, making circles again against her skin with both hands.

The question takes her by surprise. There is nothing more she needs right now besides this. Shrugging, she says almost as an afterthought, "Get the door when Pike gets here so I can dress."

She can feel him shake his head behind her, "That’s not for over three hours though," he says confused. 

'I thought we might stay like this until then," she explains trying to relax her body into their bed further.

"Such an excellent idea," he murmurs in a low tone, as his left-hand slides down to slowly caress her stomach.

There's quiet for a few minutes before he starts to say a series of phrases softly in celestial, she knows some of the words, but she can't translate it. It must have meant something through; the words cause goosebumps to rise on her skin after he finishes.

Leaning back into him a bit, she asks, “Did you want to say something, Percy?” She understands that there are somethings he finds simpler to say celestial but sometimes she wants to know what he’s saying.

He shakes his head, but a minute later he speaks, saying softly but with much more emotion in his voice, “l worship you, my love. For so long I never thought we’d get to this. There are moments where it still doesn’t seem real.” His voice gets thicker as he speaks. She understands this feeling; there are times when she feels the same way, like this can not possibly be her life.

“It comes out too raw in common, celestial is more controlled, the emotion is in the words themselves,” he explains after he shifts onto his back.

Fighting her stomach, she turns around all the way to face him, “It sounded fine in common, love,” she says before moving to lay on top of him. Nipping at his lower lip, she whispers saying, “Besides I like you raw and emotional.”

She peppers his face and neck in deep kisses, not enough to leave marks but enough so after she leaves he can still feel where her lips just were. He just allows himself to receive them until she gets too close to his lips then he returns that kiss so sweetly, “See this is why you should say these things in common more often,” she says once she’s finished.

“Yes, you’re right, well then,” he says shifting his hands to be as close to her stomach as he can. After thinking for a moment he asks, “Would you lay on your back again for a moment? I'd like to try something.”

While she shifts, he turns and repositions himself, so he’s sitting further down on the bed. He takes the covers with him, leaving most of her exposed to the cool air of the room. When she’s on her back, his hands are still resting gently on her stomach. She’s in the middle of asking, “What are you doing?” when he starts to speak.

"I just wanted to tell you that you are so loved. Your mama and I, we're very excited to meet you. We both have wanted this,” he pauses, "wanted you so much,” his voice starts out even, but he gets more and more emotional the longer this continues. She has tears threatening to fall in her eyes; his words are too much for her right now. It’s quite a sweet scene he’s making for her, gods she loves this man. 

He pauses gathering his thoughts when it seems like he’s about to say more she interrupts him. Her voice cracks as she exhales his name on her breath, “Percival.”

There is a serene look to him at the moment that she needs to cherish. He turns back to her stomach and says softly, “I think I should stop now before I make your mama cry.” That’s what does it though, all he had to do was say mama again, and she knew she would break at that. Gods they’re having a baby.

Tears start to fall down her cheeks while he shifts putting an arm beyond the far side of her, leaning in to kiss her stomach once sweetly. Then moving up, a kiss right below her breasts then two more one on each slightly hardened nipple, another at the base of her throat. Hovering over her now, he ignores the tears and kisses each cheek once. 

“Percy that was…” she starts to say when they’re face to face again, but he interrupts her looking a little sorry.

“Too much?” he offers, sincerely worried about her.

They’re so close as she wraps her arms around him and brings him back down to the bed with her. He wipes the tears from her face as she says as reassuringly as she can, “No, never. You should do that, talk to the baby I mean, whenever you want.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos appreciated.


End file.
